Writing about food is like a box of chocolates. You can reach into the box, but you’re never quite sure what flavour you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s not the one you feel like; it may even be downright disappointing. Sometimes it comes in the wrong wrapper. But for every meal that disappoints us, for...

If position is everything, then the Pacific Hotel Brisbane has it all. Conveniently located above Roma Street Parkland with stunning views across the city, the hotel is within walking distance of both the CBD and Central Railway Station with a green belt of parkland sheltering it from city traffic. Two Brisbane private hospitals, Suncorp Stadium...

“This town is steeped in a rich tapestry of colourful history.” The Gold Coast is not only built on a colourful past, it must grow to a brilliant future. A former holiday ground for the Kombumerri people, since the 1860s the Gold Coast has been a place of big personalities. They were people who boldly...

In a busy life, it’s important to plan times of retreat; weekends of relaxation, sharing time with your partner surrounded by green. Somehow, we find that lawns, gardens and wilderness are nourishing for the soul, far more so than concrete and bitumen! The InterContinental Sanctuary Cove is one of our favourite retreats, an expansive resort...

It’s the perfect winter escape away from the Gold Coast and into the forest; a weekend away in the Tweed Valley. The Tweed holds many attractions to explore: the magnificent Tweed Art Gallery, Mavis’s Kitchen with its own kitchen garden, Carool’s coffee plantations, winery and Potager, as well as craft galleries and farms set in...

Sunday Brunch has become the new meetup; a time to relax and enjoy an indulgent weekend with friends before launching into another working week. Where better to meet than at Bazaar in the QT, the retro-themed hotel famous for its award-winning interactive breakfast and dinners, now offering ‘The Bazaar Brunch’ every Sunday from 11am –...

There’s something special about heritage places, especially when they’ve been reborn. It’s as though those who’ve gone before have trod the floorboards, breathed the air and imbued into the building a sense of place. There’s all that and more at The Island. The original five-level tower, built in 1964 by Greg Graham and Bill Reichelt,...

For over thirty years, Yamagen has been a major contender in Japanese dining on the Gold Coast. Established for the opening of Daikyo’s Gold Coast International in 1987, the restaurant was a celebration of the Gold Coast’s flourishing relationship with Japan. An integral part of the city’s first five-star hotel, Gold Coast International heralded a...

For many Queenslanders, Twin Towns has been a favourite playground. Founded in 1957 by the RSL as a services club almost straddling the twin towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads (hence the name), Twin Towns was a favourite place to have a tipple because of its location in NSW, especially during the years when gambling...

For years blokes have been missing out on one of the ‘sweet’ spots of life: High Tea. High tea is for the girls, I figure. Somehow it feels like a very cultured thing to do, dressed up in high heels and short skirts to celebrate a hen’s afternoon or baby shower. A shame, really, if...